Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-06-01


This is q proper season of the year
for a few practical suggestions on rails
ing potatoes. The demand for this
most important of all root vegetables
is one of immense dimensions. At
present Iowa is importing large guam
titles from Michigan, Wisconsin, Min.
nesota and other States. Without g.
little statistical calculation, a person
would place the demand for any par
ticular city or town far below the real
demand. For instance, itrequires be-
tween 100000 and 100000 bushels
to supply the city of Des Moines for
one year. Iowa ought to raise enough
for it's own consumption, and it prob
ably does except in extremely dry
seasons.
The best soil for potato crop is q
clover sod. Agood coat of well-rotted
manure should be spread on the sod
in the fall. In the spring before the
sod is turned under, all of the un-
leached ashes which can behad should
be spread on the land. Then plow
and plant early. Long years OF ex-
perience in Iowa proves that very
early planting is the surest for success.
They should be planted in April.
Cover four inches deep and there will
be no danger from late spring frosts.
Plant in drills three feet apart, and
one piece in q hill from eight to twelve
inches apart. The potatoes should
be carefully cut, one eye to q piece;
but the pieces should not be cut too
small. At the seed end of the potato
the eyes may be 80 numerous that it
may be necessary to cut out of each
piece all but one eye. By this means
there will be but one stalk in hill,
which will produce larger class of
potatoes than when there are more
stalks. The potatoes should be cut
and laid in the sun q day or two be-
fore planting, so that the cut parts
can be dried little to prevent bleed
ing and decaying when in the ground.
Leached ashes are OF very little use
on potato or any other crop; but un-
leached ashes aid in destroying worms
and insect pests, and the alkali In the
ashes aids In dissolving and combin-
ing other vegetable food In the soil,
bringing it into immediate use. By
planting early and four inches deep,
there is abundant opportunity to
keep the field clean of weeds, and have
the soil in the most perfect state of
friability for the production of a good
crop. There is growing change IN
public opinion relative to level culture
of various crops. The old practice of
billing up potatoes is being discarded.
The harrow is becoming the first and
best implement in cuitivating most
crops. And this is particularly the
case with potatoes. Therapidity with
which potato field can be cultivated
with wide harrow, both before and
after the potatoes come up, is SO much
superior to the old plan of letting the
weeds grow until the potatoes are
large enough to work with cultivators
that the man who does not adopt it
is left in the rear Our soil is capable
of producing 800 bushels per acre, in
which case, with potatoes at so cents
per bushel, it is one of the best crops
which can be raised. This is not done,
however, by merely tickling our soil
with a straw. It takes liberal feeding
of soil to prepare it for such crops.
But it always pays to feed the soil
highly and cultivate thoroughly. And
recollect old clover sod is the best
foundation on which to place other
fertilizers to prepare for large crops of
this choicest OF vegetables.-IoWa
Register.